IPC 2013: District Critiques & Breaking Seals (part 3)

Part #3 in a series of how many ever parts it takes.

Instead of immediately entering my 4 district-sealed images directly to IPC after the Northeast District, I let my case sit for a few extra weeks until I received my district critiques. I felt that at least one image was going to need reworked a bit and wanted to hear my critique before making my final decision.

Yes, I was actually thinking of “breaking the seal.” Which basically means that you kill the bird in your hand and go chasing after the two in the bush. I was willing to risk the definite merit from IPC in order to rework the image and hope to improve it to the point where it would be a great Loan image contender.

I believed in the image, I knew in my heart that it would be a serious Loan contender if it was perfectly worked and presented. The image had won me a very large trophy at my state competition, so I knew it was good. But, there were some things about the image that I started to notice over time that I wasn’t quite happy with that I wanted to change. Yes, it was a merit image, but as it was, I was afraid it wouldn’t be considered a Loan image because of some issues I wasn’t quite happy with.

And then I received my critiques. (previously shared HERE)

 

After watching them, I was tempted to break THREE seals.

The judges brought some issues up in two additional images. Issues that I hadn’t noticed. Issues that made me believe I had a monitor issue (brightness control). For the first time ever, I was told I was losing detail in my blacks. WOAH! That’s not good, since the bulk of competition images I submit are low-key, this was going to be an issue across the board.

So, here I am considering breaking three seals. What the hell is wrong with me? No one in their right mind would break three seals! I didn’t dare tell anyone my thoughts, I knew this idea was extremely risky. I asked for some advice, and the overall advice I got was to evaluate the reason I wanted to break the seal and how it related to my overall goals. Was my goal to get a Master’s degree? If so, then don’t break the seal, take the guaranteed merit. If your goal is to create the best image possible, then break the seal and rework the image.

Well, I already have my Master’s and my actual goal is to work for the Imaging Excellence award, which is given after creating 13 Loan images. I have 3 Loan images to my name, so I need 10 more. So, my goal right now is to create Loan images. As for creating the best image possible, well D’oh, of course! I think. I started to freak out a little and wondered if this was a trick question. Of course I should always create the best image possible, who wouldn’t? And if I didn’t rework the image, and it didn’t “go loan,” how badly would I regret it?

I began to realize that sealing all four images at a district competition, an accomplishment I had thought would elicit great joy and reduce my stress load, had now increased it. A part of me was jealous that other competitors had the opportunity to work on their images more before IPC. I could not, without giving up a seal. A part of me wondered if taking that guaranteed 4/4 was a form of “selling out.” A part of me felt an incredible pressure to now achieve Diamond status by “loaning” all four.

This case was not the airtight wonder I had thought it was. It was presenting opportunities and challenges.

And perhaps traps.

Was I wavering on the edge of one by thinking about breaking three seals?

to be continued…

Get caught up:

Part #1  Part #2